Stewardship Issues of 2010
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
BY BOATERS FOR BOATERS January/February 2010 TOP 10 STEWARDSHIP ISSUES OF 2010 Riverboarding Thunder Creek (WA) Hucking off the Edge of the World Where the Snow and Rivers Meet: A Mt. Washington Adventure Racing Daylight Mexico’s Rivers Explored Little Lauren Burress on BIG Creek A VOLUNTEER PUBLICATION PROMOTING RIVER CONSERVATION, ACCESS AND SAFETY American Whitewater Journal January/February 2010 - Volume #50 - Issue #1 Columns 3 The Journey Ahead by Mark Singleton 4 President’s Message by Don Kinser 5 News & Notes Stewardship Updates 6 California Renewable Energy Plan: Is New BC Hydro the Answer by Mick Grochol Top Stewardship Issues 2010 8 Protecting National River Management Policies on the Chattanooga (NC/SC/GA) by Kevin Colburn 8 Guiding Hydropower Develpment and Management of Government Dams on the West River (VT) by Kevin Colburn 9 Providing a Voice for Paddlers in National Policy by Kevin Colburn 10 Pushing for Wild and Scenic Designation on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie (WA) by Thomas O’Keefe 10 Dam Removal on the White Salmon River (WA) by Thomas O’Keefe 11 Bringing Natural Flows Back to the McCloud River (CA) by Dave Steindorf 13 Protecting the Free-Flowing Yampa River from Powerful Industries (CO) by Nathan Fey 14 Protecting Recreational Flows on the Upper Colorado River (CO) byNathan Fey 15 Restoring Dynamic Flows to the Dolores River by Nathan Fey 16 River Time: Saving the Mokelumne River (CA) by Theresa L. Simsiman Creeking 18 Losloera by Tom Meinholz 24 Gangs of Nor-Cal: Showdown on a 35-footer by Raul Adamchak 28 Boards and Boats: A Classic New England Adventure by Darron Laughland 32 Searching for the Edge of the World by Jeff West 35 Little Paddler, Big Creek by Lauren Burress 36 Riverboard on Thunder Creek by Rochelle Parry 38 Racing Daylight by Eric Adsit 40 First Descent of Rio Chinipas - A To Be Class IV Mexican Classic by Rocky Contos 49 A Southern Creekin’ Road Trip by Mikel Carr Support American Whitewater through CFC or United Way All of the Federal CFC campaigns (CFC # 11351) and a few of the local United Way campaigns will allow you to donate through them to AW. Also, check to see if your employer will match your charitable contributions: double your giving . double your fun! Paddlers enjoying the Upper Colorado Publication Title: American Whitewater River, whose recreational flows are Issue Date: January/February 2010 threatened by the demands of Front Statement of Frequency: Published bimonthly Authorized Organization’s Name and Address: Range cities and farms American Whitewater P.O. Box 1540 Cullowhee, NC 28723 photo by Marin Fey River Stewardship: EDUCATION: AW shares information with the participation in public decision-making processes, general public and the paddling community regarding grassroots advocacy, coalition building, empowerment An Integrated Approach whitewater rivers, as well as river recreation, of volunteers, public outreach and education, and, conservation, access, and safety. This is accomplished when necessary, legal action. Our mission: “To conserve and restore America’s through our bi-monthly AW Journal, a monthly whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities RIVER ACCESS: To assure public access to whitewater e-news, americanwhitewater.org, paddling events, to enjoy them safely,” is actively pursued through our rivers pursuant to the guidelines published in its educational events, and through direct communication conservation, access, safety and education efforts under official Access Policy, AW arranges for river access with the press. the umbrella of River Stewardship. The only national through private lands by negotiation or purchase, organization representing the interest of all whitewater seeks to protect the right of public passage on all rivers Together, AW staff, members, volunteers, and affiliate paddlers, American Whitewater is the national voice and streams navigable by kayak or canoe, encourages clubs can achieve our goals of conserving, protecting for thousands of individual whitewater enthusiasts, as equitable and responsible management of whitewater and restoring America’s whitewater resources well as over 100 local paddling club affiliates. rivers on public lands, and works with government and enhancing opportunities to safely enjoy these agencies and other river users to achieve these goals. AW’s River Stewardship program adheres to the four wonderful rivers. tenets of our mission statement: SAFETY: AW promotes paddling safely, publishes reports on whitewater accidents, maintains a uniform AW was incorporated under Missouri nonprofit CONSERVATION: AW’s professional staff works national ranking system for whitewater rivers (the corporation laws in 1961 and maintains its principal closely with volunteers and partner organizations to International Scale of Whitewater Difficulty) and mailing address at PO Box 1540, Cullowhee, NC protect the ecological and scenic values of all whitewater publishes and disseminates the internationally- 28723; phone 1-866-BOAT-4-AW (1-866-262-8429). rivers. These goals are accomplished through direct recognized American Whitewater Safety Code. AW is tax exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Service. American Whitewater Journal Staff Board of Directors & Staff TOLL FREE NUMBER Editor Ambrose Tuscano Chris Bell 866-BOAT4AW P.O. Box 913, Soda Springs, California 95728 [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Asheville, NC Graphic Design/Production/Photo Editor Christie Dobson Rich Bowers Nathan Fey Contributing Writers Eric Nies Don Kinser, Ambrose Tuscano, Mark Singleton, [email protected] [email protected] Colorado Stewardship Director Thomas O’Keefe, Mich Grochol, Kevin Colburn, Dave Steindorf, Bellingham, WA New Paltz, NY Longmont, CO Nathan Fey, Theresa Simsiman, Tom Meinholz, Raul Adamchak, [email protected] Darron Laughland, Jeff West, Lauren Burress, Rochelle Parry, Eric Adsit, Rocky Contos, Mikel Carr Dave Cernicek Aaron Pruzan [email protected] [email protected] Carla Miner Photo Contributors Jackson, WY Membership Manager Dave Steindorf, Marin Fey, Tom Meinholz, Rocky Contos, Jackson Hole, WY Frank Walden, Darron Laughland, Dick Pollack, Dave Cohen, West Valley City, UT Matt Wallace, Russell Hobby, Kathleen Burress, Eric Michelson, Adam Cramer Norwood Scott [email protected] Eric Adsit, Daniel Anderson, Mikel Carr [email protected] [email protected] Events / Advertising Coordinator Jeff Paine Bethesda, MD San Francisco, CA Jeff Paine P.O. Box 1540, Cullowhee, NC 28723 Outreach Director phone 860-331-8323 Leland Davis Asheville, NC e-mail: [email protected] Charlie Walbridge leland@ [email protected] [email protected] Safety Editor Charlie Walbridge brushmountainpublishing. Bruceton Mills, WV Route 1, Box 329F, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525 com Thomas O’Keefe e-mail: [email protected] Swannanoa, NC BOARD OFFICERS Pacific NW Stewardship Director Stewarship Reports Editor Seattle, WA President: Don Kinser Kevin Colburn, [email protected] Jennie Goldberg [email protected] Vice President: Norwood Scott [email protected] American Whitewater Magazine Task Force Secretary: Jennie Goldberg Jeff Espy, Dunbar Hardy, Dale-Marie Herring, John Mason, Seattle, WA Mark Singleton Treasurer: Chris Bell Tanya Shuman, Ambrose Tuscano Executive Director At Large: Dave Cernicek Missing Copies and Address Changes Kristine Jackson Cullowhee, NC [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] AW STAFF American Whitewater is printed by The Printing House in Quincy Florida Rock Island, TN All rights reserved. Laura Blalock Dave Steindorf Don Kinser Finance Manager California Stewardship Director EDITORIAL DISCLAIMER [email protected] Cullowhee, NC Chico, CA The opinions expressed in the features and Marietta, GA [email protected] [email protected] editorials of American Whitewater are those of the individual authors. They do not necessarily Evie Locke Kevin Colburn represent those of the Directors of American Whitewater or the editors of this publication. [email protected] National Stewardship Director On occasion, American Whitewater publishes Charlemont, MA Missoula, MT official organizational policy statements drafted [email protected] and approved by the Board of Directors. These policy statements will be clearly identified. 2 American Whitewater www.americanwhitewater.org January/February 2010 Pinch me, is it really 2010? Hydropower Reform Coalition Ultimately, the entire Chattooga Wild and Scenic River should protect and enhance American Whitewater has been a steering the values, including paddling, that caused As I write this, I’m just back from a late-fall committee member of the Hydropower it to be included in the National Wild and paddle in western North Carolina where Reform Coalition for many years. Through Scenic River System. This is one of the I live. The last of the leaves are coming Hydropower Reform Coalition efforts stones we continue roll uphill as we enter down and it’s hard to think of winter. By we are able to shape the procedural and the New Year, and the staff and committed the time you read this, the calendar will political arena where dam relicensing and volunteers of American Whitewater will have changed and the snow here will be management occurs. work with renewed vigor to make sure on the ground knee deep. I’m not ready that what happened under Forest Service to pull out the skis yet; there is still more As good